Dry-pipe valve.



P. D. KINGBERRY & W. L McCART HY,

DRY PIPE VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25, I9I4.

l 14fis Patented June 29, 1915.

W6. Z I I 7 D the system with compressed air.

i Wires erases Parana Fauna. .xruennnnr AND WARREN a necaarni'; or newsman, sonar-1c, camera...

BERRY and WARREN J. MCCARTHY, a citizen of the United States and a subject of the l 5 King of Great Britain, respectively, and

bothresidents of the city of Montreal, in

'Can'ada', have invented new and useful 'Improvements in Dry-Pipe Valves. of which the following is a full, clear. and exactdescription. 1

=This invention relates to improvements in dry'pipe valves for use in connection with'fire protection sprinkler systems, and the'object is to provide a simple and reliable valve of great durability, which when open permits an absolutely unobstructed and .straight flow therethrough.

5 cold,so that water in the pipes would freeze,

notonly bursting the pipes but rendering the system inoperative. These systems consist merely in placing a valve between the svstemand the water supply, and charging operates to hold the valve closed and keep the'water out of the system until some sprinkler head blows oil', relieving the pressure and allowing'the water to enter.

In the present invention, the valve for excluding the water-is so constructed that comparatively small air pressure will hold :back 'quite a heavy water pressure. This result is. obtained. by the use of a small water :valveand a large air valve, which pressesv on the water 'valve and holds it closed. In the drawings,--the air and water valves are shown having an area ratio of approximately 5:1,, so that an air pressure of 12 v out water under a pressure of to lbs, which is: ashigh as supplied in most citv T water, work. systems. The object ,of this arrangement;is obvious, as it is well known that a lowiair' pressure can be maintained much more easily than a high.

' In the drawings which illustrate the invention: Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the device. Fig. 2 is a plan view ,withtheupper'part of the casing removed.

theProvince of Quebec and Dominion of A further object is to provide a valve The airto 15 "lbs. in' the sprinkler system will hold the casing from one i nnr-rrrnvainvn.

. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 29, 1915. Application filed May 25,

ing the subject of this invention. The cash ing of the valve consists of a substantially flat seat member 6 and a conical or py= ramidal cap member 7. The seat member 6 is provided with a neck 8 for attachment to the water pipe 4, at the upper endof which is a seat 9 for the water valve 10. This seat is in the form of a circular groove of approximately triangular or other suitable cross section, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and is surrounded by a circular flange 11 within which the valve 10 seats. At the bottom of the seat 9, a small annular groove 12 is formed which is connected at one point with an outletpipe 13 extending to If the valve any suitable alarm device. should'become loose on its seat and permit any slight leakage, the water will obviously enter'the groove 12 and escape downwardly through the pipe 13 instead of flowing upwardly over the flange 11. Such leakage of water would operate an alarm device indicating that water was flowing past the valve. If the val e opens in the event of fire, the same thing occurs. water valve 10 a large air valve 14: is pro vided seated in a groove 15, formed in the upper edge of a circular ,flangeflG. The formation of the bottom casing member and the flange 16 raise the air valve considerably above the water valve, so. that a pocket is formed therebetween.

An adjustable bolt 17 is centrally mounted .in the water upon by a resilient bronze spider 17 loosely secured to the lower side of the air valve 14,

as clearly shown in Fig. 1, so that air pres Above the between the two valves, so that bothv valves close tightly. The air and water valves are independently mounted at the ends of pivot arms 18 and 19 respectively, the pivotal points being placed diametrically across another, as clearly seen in Fig. 1. The water valve arm is of simple construction and requires no further description, but the air valve arm 18 is provided at its pivot end with ratchet teeth water in the system drained away through 20 engagingwith the toothed. disk 21 slidably mounted on the pivot pin 22, but held against revolution.

valve opens, its teeth engaging the teeth of the disk will holdthe valve in open position until it is properly closed. There are various reasons for this feature, one of which is suflicient for the purpose of this specification. tain amount of water would enter the sys-.

tem duringa momentary opening of the valve, and if the large air valve could close, the weight of this. water would be suiticient to hold the smaller water valve closed and render the system inoperative. In order to drain the water out of the valve or system, a drip pipe 24: is provided leading from'the lowest point of the valve casing and provided with a valve 25. Suitable hand hole plates 26 are provided in the upper 'part of the casing for cleaning, in-' spection and re-seating of the valve.

The operation of air pressure 1n the systerm to hold the water out has been already explained, .as also the opening of the valves themselves. When'the valves are open, the flow of water forces them to substantially vertical position,- entirely out of thedirect v line of flow, as clearly indicated by the dottedllow lines 27. To re-seat the valve, the water supply is" first turned off and the the pipe 24. 'Whn the system has been drained, a hand hole plate 26 is removed and the air valve lowered on to its seat to hold. the water valve down. The hand hole plate is then closed and compressed air forced into the system. Y

Fronnthe foregoing description, it will be seen that this valve serves a double purpose,

namely, that of a dry pipe valve and a waterflow alarm valve- This feature is of considerable value, as at the present time the dry pipe valves in use rfequireto have a special alarm device arranged in series therewith.

Another advantage of this device is that it i may be used as an ordinary wet system valve in summer-by merely raising the air valve,

which then stays up. In a wet system, the water valve operates similarlyto the clapper of a .check valve and holds the, water in the system. In the event of the water supply. belng out off, it also operates on a wet system as an alarm valve. When the valve 'is closed,

there is no flow of.water from the pipe- '13 communicating with the valve seat, but as soon as the slightest amount of flow. through the system commences, thevvalve .will lift.

It will be noted in the drawings that the air and water valves are pivoted on opposite 5 s des of acasing. enables the valve to 1 This toothed disk is held in mesh with the teeth 20,by a spring 23. It will therefore be seenv that when the .by the force of grav ty rrespective-of the It might occur that a 061'."

be used inlhorizontal position. When 'used thus, the valve is arranged with the pifot of the air. valve at the lower side, sothat the water valve will close as soon as water flow stops, while the airvalve will remain open ratchetholding device. E 2 'Having. thus described our .mventlon,

" what we claimis 1. In adry pipe valve, 8 Water 1 2i separate and larger'ail lY i justable abutment 'on the wateri'yfalve engageable b the air valve.

2. In a ry pipe valve, api votally mounted water valve, a larger a r valve p votally valve, and an adjustable abutmentfor the air valve carriedby the water valve? mountedata' diiferent center from thewater l 3. In a dry pipe valve, a'waterfvalv'e, a

'seat therefor in the form ofagro'ovesubvalve seat arrangedto -forcethe water of leakage from said groove outlet. v

4. In a dry pip'evalve, a water valve', a

separate air valve, and a resilient member carried by the air f e old the water valve firmly seat d 5. In a dry plpe valve, awate'r;va1 e, a separate air valve,an' ad ustable abutmenton the water valve, and a resilient member I abutment duringclosed valve positibn'. v 6. In a dry pipe valve, separate air and water valves arranged concentrically and in different planes, arms carrying said valves pivoted at opposite sides oftheyalve cen- "ters, and a resilient member] carried by the air valve arranged to holdthe-water yalve .closed.

7. In a dry pipe'valvepairjand water,

valves, a resilient member carried by the air valve adapted to hold the water valve closed during closed position of the air valve, and means for holding the air valve, in open position. I a U 8. In a dry pipe valve, separate air andv water valves pivotally mounted,. 'at different centers, main and auxiliary outlets from said valve closed by the, water 'valve,;said water valve being arranged to operate independthrough the device by, opening es the auxiliaryoutlet. I I

In witness whereof, we havehereunto set, our hands in the presence of two witnesses. PAUL D. KINGBERRY. WABR EN J.,MCCARTHY. .VVitnfesses: H

S.R.W.,ALLEN, G. N. MORELAND.

ently of the air valve; to indicatew-ater flow.

carried by the air valve engageable with said Copies of this .petenthnay he obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner oi ,fatents,

Washington, D. (3. 

